Stevens Systems Engineering Dept. to launch annual publication

Case studies will primarily focus on graduate, doctoral research papers

Hoboken, N.J. -- Based on the success of the global Conference on Systems Engineering Research (CSER), founded by Stevens Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California, Stevens' Systems Engineering Department will publish selected case studies in an annual publication primarily focused on graduate and doctoral research papers. Organized by Rashmi Jain, Associate Professor, Systems Engineering and Engineering Management and Brian Sauser, Research Assistant - Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, The Systems Research Forum is dedicated to providing a platform for peer-reviewed graduate and post-graduate research papers and case studies in systems engineering.

"Case studies have been found to be a very effective method of communicating practical lessons in the application of systems engineering to real-world projects and programs," said Jain. "The work comes very timely toward fulfilling the needs of both the academic community and the practitioners to have well-researched case studies of systems engineering."

The case studies highlighted will enrich the existing body of knowledge on systems engineering. The initial collection of case studies includes aerospace, civil and commercial domains. The cases in this publication cross multiple industries from around the world, looking at numerous aspects of systems engineering; scope and design, architecting, risk, cost, strategy, management and leadership. These case studies consistently provide an account of systems engineering activities, events, or problems containing the background, complexities, and prospective solutions derived from real events with real systems.

"Our objective in producing this book is to begin to provide a platform for systems engineering case studies and Masters-level thesis projects to be published," said Jain. "The overarching intent is to provide another set of publications that can support systems engineering instruction, research and practice."

"The increasing complexity of systems and rapid evolution of technologies are placing ever greater pressures to deliver needed capability on time and within budget. These project execution challenges depend heavily on the effective application of systems engineering to succeed," said Mark. D. Schaeffer, Director, Systems and Software Engineering, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (AT&L). "They also mandate a need for other disciplines such as project management, contract management, and financial management to have an understanding of and appreciation for the value added by a viable systems engineering approach. The evolution of systems engineering itself, however, faces its own challenges, one of which is the promulgation and implementation of successful systems engineering practices."

"It is gratifying to know that the Stevens Institute of Technology is taking up this mantle of systems engineering case study research and evaluation . . . The editors of this work – Brian Sauser, Rashmi Jain, Dinesh Verma, and Jose Ramirez-Marquez – are to be congratulated for their foresight in bringing together this collection. A more appropriate time for the appearance of this volume could not be found and it is my hope and full expectation that these works will prove to be of extraordinary value and enable much continued progress in systems engineering," said Andrew P. Sage, George Mason University.

Future issues of this publication will also provide opportunities to graduate students conducting research in systems engineering and related topics to publish their findings. All proceeds from the inaugural issue will be donated to the International Council on Systems Engineering.

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About Stevens Institute of Technology
Established in 1870, Stevens offers baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science, management and technology management, as well as a baccalaureate in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. Located directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan, the university has enrollments of approximately 1,780 undergraduates and 2,700 graduate students, and a current enrollment of 2,250 online-learning students worldwide. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.Stevens.edu.